Work gripping mechanism



March 3, 1936. H. c. GEIST I WORK GRIPPING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 30, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 3, 1936.

H. C. GEIST WORK GRIPPING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 50, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for holding work while it is being operated upon, and while in a specific application it is for gripping nipples while they are threaded, as in the apparatus disclosed in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 750,698, filed October 30, 1934, it is not restricted to such use, but is of decidedly broader application, and therefore appears to constitute an invention separate from said apparatus.

The fundamental object is to provide mechanism of this kind which is very positive in action, and which will so grip the work that the latter is not displaced, thus insuring its being properly centered with respect to the mechanism that is to operate on it, as for example, a threading die head.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are respectively sectional views taken on the lines 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 66, 'Il, and 8-8 of Figure 1.

In the embodiment disclosed a support 9 is employed, which may be of any desired configuration, and in this instance has an opening I therethrough in which the Work is placed for presentation to the mechanism that is to operate on it. In this case a pipe nipple is indicated at II. On opposite sides of the opening III, the support is provided with transverse horizontal guideways I2. In these guideways reciprocatory carrier blocks I3 are located. In the inner ends of the blocks are sockets I4 for the reception of work gripping jaws I that are thus movable into and out of the opposite sides of the opening III, and are adapted to grip the work piece I I.

On one side of the support is an outstanding ear I6, on which are fulcrumed, as at IT, a set of spaced upstanding levers I8 of the first class. The lower arms of these levers have openings I9 vertically elongated and receiving the terminal gudgeons of a yoke 2| that is located between the levers. The adjacent carrier block I3 has an outstanding threaded stem 22 that passes through an opening 23 in the yoke 2|. Nuts 24, threaded on the stem and bearing against opposite sides of the yoke, serve to connect the carrier thereto. The jaw I5 in said yoke is held in place by a bolt 25 threaded into the rear portion of the jaw and passing through the carrier block and stem, its outer end being headed, as shown at 26 and bearing against a washer 21 that in turn bears against the end of the stem 22.

On the opposite side of the support 9 tothat having the levers I8, the support has an oppositely outstanding lower ear 28 on which is fulcrumed at 29, the lower ends of upstanding levers 30 of the second class. These levers have above the fulcrum 29, elongated openings 3| in which are engaged the gudgeons 32 of another yoke 33. The adjacent carrier block I3 has an outstanding threaded stem 34 passing through the gudgeon 33 and held in place by nuts 35 threaded on the stem 34 and bearing against the opposite sides of the yoke. The gripping jaw I5 for this carrier block is held in place by a bolt tficorresponding to the bolt 25 of the other jaw.

The upper ends of the levers I8 and 30 are con- 1 nected by cross links 37 engaged with transverse pivot bolts 38 that connect the levers of each set, and thus insure the simultaneous movements of the two sets of levers in the same direction.

The support 9 has secured to its upper end an outstanding bracket 39 terminating at its outer end in a vertical guide sleeve 40. Journaled on the base of this bracket at 4|, is a bell crank having an upstanding arm 42 and an outstanding arm 43. The upstanding arm 42 lies between the upper ends of the levers 30 and has its upper end journaled on the pivot pin 38 that connects the upper ends of said levers. The outstanding arm 43 terminates in a yoke 44 having elongated openings 45 in its ends. yoke 44 and axle screws 41, threaded into the block 45, pass through the openings 45 and have journaled thereon rollers 48 that operate in the openings 45 and bear against the walls thereof.

A vertical plunger 49 passes through the block 46 and is held fixed with relation thereto by nuts 59 threaded thereon and bearing against the upper and lower sides of the block. This obviously permits an adjustment of the plunger with respect to the block. The plunger 49 slidably passes through the vertical sleeve 40 and has at its lower end a head 5| on which is a removable foot case 52, these providing a chamber 53 in which is a bearing ball 54 that projects through the bottom of the cap. The bearing ball rests against an annular series of balls 55 located above it and operating in a ball race 55. The ball 54, as shown in Figure 1, is adapted to ride on any suitable operating cam 51 carried by a suitable shaft 58.

The cam may be provided with a peripheral groove 59 that insures a surface greater than a point bearing of the ball 54.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: When an article, as a nipple I I, is placed between the gripping jaws I5, at the proper time, depend- A block 46 is located in the mits the plunger to fall, thereby swinging the two sets of levers to the right and moving the gripping jaws oppositely outward to release the article. It will be evident that by adjusting the nuts 24 and 35 the relation of the jaws may be changed as desired, so that they will operate on articles of different diameters, and by moving the holding screws 25 and 36, the jaws can be removed and replaced. It will also be evident that the adjustment of the block 46 on the plunger 49 provides for the corresponding adjustment of the two jaws with respect to each other. The ball bearing eliminates much friction between the cam and the operating member, and as the ball 54 is freely revoluble various surfaces will automatically come into contact with the cam and thus avoid excessive wear on any particular portion of the ball.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and ,minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim, is:

l. Ina work gripping mechanism, the combination with work gripping jaws, between which the work is placed, of an operating lever connected to each jaw, one of the levers being of a difierent class from that of the other, links connecting the levers for securing their simultaneous movements in the same direction, and a cam operated device connected to one of the levers at one side of its connection with its jaws for operating both.

2. In a work gripping mechanism, the combination with a support having an opening for the location of the work to be gripped and guideways at opposite sides of the opening, of carriers having gripping jaws slidably mounted in the guideways, an upstanding lever of the first class fulcrumed on one side of the support and connected with one of the carriers, an upstanding lever of the second class fulcrumed on the other side of the support and connected to the other carrier, a link connection between the upper power ends of the levers, a bell crank having one arm connected to the power end of one of the levers, and a cam operated plunger connected to the other arm of the bell crank.

.3. In a work gripping mechanism, the combination with a support having an opening for the location of the work to be gripped and guideways at opposite sides of the opening, of carriers having gripping jaws slidably mounted in the guideways, a lever of the first class fulcrumed on one side of the support and connected with one of the carriers, a lever of the second class fulcrumed on the other side of the support and connected to the other carrier, a link connection between the power arms of the levers, a bracket on nation with a support having an opening for the reception of the work to be held, and guideways at opposite sides of the opening, of reciprocatory jaw carriers in the guideways, work gripping jaws detachably mounted in the carriers, sets of levers fulcrumed on opposite sides of the support, a yoke journaled in and located between the levers of each set, adjustable connections between the carriers and yokes, and bolts passing through the yokes and'the carriers and engaged with the jaws for securing the latter together.

5. In a work gripping mechanism. the combination with a support having an opening to receive the work to be gripped and further having transverse guideways on opposite sides of the opening, of reciprocatory carrier blocks slidable in the guideways, gripping jaws mounted on the blocks, a set of upright levers of one class fulcrumed on one side of the support, a yoke journaled in and located between the levers of said set, a connection between the yoke and the adjacent carrier block, a bolt passing through the adjacent carrier block and engaged with the gripping jaw thereof, a set of upstanding levers of another class fulcrumed on the opposite side of the support, a yoke journaled in and'located between the levers of the latter set, a connection between the latter yoke and the adjacent carrier block, a bolt passing through the adjacent carrier block and engaged with the gripping jaw thereof, links connecting the upper power ends of the sets of levers, a bracket on one side of the support, a bell crank journaled on the bracket and having an upstanding arm connected to the power ends of one of the sets of levers at the connection of the links therewith, a vertical plunger having a reciprocatory mounting in the bracket and connected to the other arm of the bell crank, said plunger having a head in its lower end, a freely revoluble roller in the head and projecting therefrom, and an actuating cam against which the roller bears.

6. In work gripping mechanism, the combination with a support having a passageway for the work'and guideways at opposite sides of said passageway, of reciprocatory jaw carriers in said guideways and having outstanding stems at their outer ends, opposite work gripping jaws at the inner ends of the carriers, fastening bolts for the jaws passing through the stems and carriers and engaged with the jaws, levers fulcrumed at the opposite sides of the support, connections between the levers and the stems that leave the bolts accessible, and means for operating the levers in opposite directions.

7. In work gripping mechanism, the combination with a support having a passageway for the work and guideways at opposite sides of said passageway, of reciprocatory jaw carriers in said guideways and having outstanding stems at their outer ends, opposite work gripping jaws at the inner ends of the carriers, fastening bolts for the jaws passing through the stems and carriers and engaged with the jaws, levers fulcrumed at the opposite sides of the support, yokes adjustably V mounted on the stems and engaged with the lev- 

